Abalistes

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Abalistes
OkiHG.jpg
Abalistes stellatus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Tetraodontiformes
Family: Balistidae
Genus: Abalistes
D. S. Jordan & Seale, 1906 [1]
Type species
Leiurus macrophthalmus
Swainson, 1839 [2]
Synonyms [2]
  • LeiurusSwainson, 1839

Abalistes is a small genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. These triggerfishes are found in the Indo-Pacific and eastern Atlantic. This genus contains two recognised species.

Contents

Taxonomy

Abalistes was first proposed as a genus in 1906 by the American ichthyologists David Starr Jordan and Alvin Seale with Leiurus macrophthalmus the type species. L. macropthalmus was originally described by William Swainson with Leiurus being proposed as a subgenus of Capriscus, i.e. Balistes , but he used the same name in the same book for a subgenus of the stickleback genus Gasterosteus , meaning that it was unavailable for the triggerfish. [2] This genus belongs to the family Balistidae which is classified within the suborder Balistoidei. [3]

Etymology

Abalistes prefixes a-, meaning "not", with Balistes, the genus that A. stellaris, a synonym of A. stellatus, was considered to belong to. [4]

Species

There are currently two recognised species in this genus: [5]

Characteristics

Abalistes triggerfishes are distinguished from the othere triggerfish genera by the morphology of the caudal peduncle which is wider than it is deep, i.e. depressed rather than compressed. They have a terminal mouth with uneven notched teeth. [7] The largest of the two species in the genus is the starry triggerfish (A. stellatus) which has a maximum published total length of 60 cm (24 in), A. filamentosus is much smaller with a maximum published standard length of 32.5 cm (12.8 in). [8]

Distribution

Abalistes triggerfishes are found in the Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea and the eastern coast of Africa east through the Indian Ocean and into the Pacific Ocean north to southern Japan, south to Australia and east to Fiji. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triggerfish</span> Family of ray-finned fishes

Triggerfish are about 40 species of often brightly colored marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Balistidae. Often marked by lines and spots, they inhabit tropical and subtropical oceans throughout the world, with the greatest species richness in the Indo-Pacific. Most are found in relatively shallow, coastal habitats, especially at coral reefs, but a few, such as the oceanic triggerfish, are pelagic. While several species from this family are popular in the marine aquarium trade, they are often notoriously ill-tempered.

<i>Abalistes stellatus</i> Species of fish

Abalistes stellatus, the starry triggerfish or flat-tailed triggerfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. This triggerfish has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange-lined triggerfish</span> Species of fish

The orange-lined triggerfish, also known as the orangestripe triggerfish, red-lined triggerfish, striped triggerfish or vermiculated triggerfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. This species is the only species in the monospecific genus Balistapus, which is closely related to the genus Balistoides, if that genus is reclassified as a monospecific genus with the clown triggerfish as its only species. The orange-lined triggerfish has a wide Indo-Pacific range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey triggerfish</span> Species of fish

The grey triggerfish, or gray triggerfish, is a species of ray-finned fish in the triggerfish family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. The species is native to shallow parts of the western Atlantic from Nova Scotia to Argentina and also the eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea and off Angola on the west coast of Africa.

<i>Balistes</i> Genus of fishes

Balistes is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. The triggerfishes in this genus are found in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific Ocean.

<i>Balistes vetula</i> Species of fish

The queen triggerfish is a large triggerfish species found in the tropical Atlantic Ocean. Its body coloration ranges from steel grey to olive green, but areas around its mouth is orange with striking electric blue rays. This species is commonly found in coral reefs or rocky bottoms of the sea. Its diet mainly composed of shelled invertebrates like crabs and sea urchins. When breeding, the queen triggerfish dig a sandpit with its fin to lay eggs and fiercely defend eggs. This species is an important food fish among Caribbean communities, often harvested by hook-and-lines or fish traps.

<i>Balistes punctatus</i> Species of fish

Balistes punctatus, the bluespotted triggerfish or spotted triggerfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. This species occurs in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean off the Western coast of Africa.

<i>Aracana</i> Genus of fishes

Aracana is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Aracanidae, the deepwater boxfishes or temperate boxfishes. These fishes are endemic to the waters around Australia.

<i>Kentrocapros</i> Genus of fishes

Kentrocapros is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Aracanidae, the deepwater boxfishes or temperate boxfishes. These fishes are found in the coastal waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

<i>Balistoides</i> Genus of fishes

Balistoides is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. The triggerfishes in this genus are found in the Indo-Pacific region.

<i>Lactoria</i> Genus of fishes

Lactoria is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. The fishes in this genus are found in the Indo-Pacific, with one species extending into the southeastern Atlantic.

<i>Tetrosomus</i> Genus of fishes

Tetrosomus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. The fishes in this genus are known as turretfishes and they are found in the Indian and western Pacific Oceans.

<i>Triacanthus</i> Genus of fishes

Triacanthus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triacanthidae, the triplespines or tripodfishes. The two species in this genus are found in the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Triacanthodes</i> Genus of fishes

Triacanthodes is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Triacanthodidae, the spikefishes. These fishes are found found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

<i>Ostracion rhinorhynchos</i> Species of fish

Ostracion rhinorhynchos, the horn-nosed boxfish or torpedo boxfish, is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. This fish occurs in the Indo-West Pacific region.

<i>Triacanthus biaculeatus</i> Species of fish

Triacanthus biaculeatus, also known as the short-nosed tripod fish, black-finned triple-spine, blacktail tripodfish, hollow-snouted tripodfish or silver tripodfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triacanthidae, the triplespines or tripodfishes. This species is found in the Indo-West Pacific region.

<i>Abalistes filamentosus</i> Species of fish

Abalistes filamentosus, the hairfin triggerfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. It is found in the Indo-Pacific Ocean and in subtropical waters. It lives in the Pelagic-Neritic zone of the ocean between 61–180 meters deep. It is harmless to humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shortnose boxfish</span> Species of fish

The Shortnose boxfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. This species is found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

<i>Lactophrys trigonus</i> Species of fish

Lactophrys trigonus, the buffalo trunkfish or trunkfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ostraciidae, the boxfishes. The buffalo trunkfish is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Balistes polylepis</i> Species of fish

Balistes polylepis, the finescale triggerfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Balistidae, the triggerfishes. This triggerfish is found in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

References

  1. "Genus Abalistes Jordan & Seale 1906". FishWisePro. 1906. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Balistidae". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  3. "Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes Classification". Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  4. Christopher Scharpf (21 August 2024). "Order TETRAODONTIFORMES: Families MOLIDAE, BALISTIDAE, MONACANTHIDAE, ARACANIDAE and OSTRACIIDAE". Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  5. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Abalistes". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  6. Matsuura, K. & Yoshino, T. (2004). "A new triggerfish of the genus Abalistes (Tetraodontiformes: Balistidae) from the western Pacific" (PDF). Records of the Australian Museum. 56 (2): 189–194. Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  7. Keiichi Matsuura (2022). "Tetraodontiformes". In Phillip C. Heemstra; Elaine Heemstra; David E. Ebert; Wouter Holleman; John E. Randall (eds.). Coastal Fishes of the Western Indian Ocean (PDF). pp. 406–485.
  8. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Abalistes". FishBase . Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  9. Matsuura, K (2014). "Taxonomy and systematics of tetraodontiform fishes: a review focusing primarily on progress in the period from 1980 to 2014". Ichthyological Research. 62 (1): 72–113. Bibcode:2015IchtR..62...72M. doi: 10.1007/s10228-014-0444-5 .